Many functions of modern devices in automotive, consumer and industrial applications, such as converting electrical energy and driving an electric motor or an electric machine, rely on power semiconductor devices.
For example, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) and diodes, to name a few, have been used for various applications including, but not limited to switches in power supplies and power converters.
A power semiconductor device usually comprises a power semiconductor die configured to conduct a load current along a load current path between two load terminals of the die. Further, the load current path may be controlled by means of an insulated electrode, sometimes referred to as gate electrode. For example, upon receiving a corresponding control signal from, e.g., a driver unit, the control electrode may set the power semiconductor device in one of a conducting state and a blocking state.
After the power semiconductor die has been manufactured, it has to be included in a package, e.g., in a manner that allows the die to be installed within an application, e.g., in a power converter, e.g., such that the die may be coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB).
For example, it is known that the die may be mounted on top of a core layer and to use bonding wires that provide for an electrical connection between the die load terminals and terminal interfaces of the package. Further, the die and the bonding wires may then be included within a housing of the package. This approach is also known as the “chip & wire” approach. For example, thereby, wire-bonded power dies on printed circuit boards (Direct Copper Bonded, DCB) may be provided.
As an alternative, the die may be mounted on a core layer by means of the so-called “flip-chip” technology, which may avoid use of bonding wires.
A yet further approach is to entirely embed the die within the core layer and to use one side (the so-called “footprint side”) for providing electrical connections to both load terminals of the die, and to use the other side (the so-called “topside”) primarily for heat dissipation. This approach is also known as the “chip embedding” approach.
Further, some principles of the die embedding approach are outlined by A. Ostmann et al. in “Industrial and technical aspects of die embedding technology”, published at the 2nd IEEE Electronics System-Integration Technology Conference, 1-4 Sep. 2008, DOI: 10.1109/ESTC.2008.4684368.